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Baseball Preview 2024 Edition (Feb 10th - Pro Prospects & SEC Predictions)
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:01 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:01 am
February. Is. Here.
-As always everything in this preview is "my" opinion and analysis, I want to welcome everyone’s opinions, thoughts, and criticism, as this is a message board and it's what makes this place great...but please keep it baseball related. In year 17 now this preview is for those friends, family, and alumni who follow the sport however may not be able to see the team early in spring and want to get a better feel for who’s – who.
-The lineup I predict is not only based on what I have seen thus far but how I see the respective positions shaping up throughout the entire regular season.
-The MLB uses a 20-80 grading scale to evaluate each draft eligible player based on their skillset of 1) Power 2) Hitting 3) Speed 4) Fielding 5) Arm. Now because 60-70% of all MLB draft eligible prospects fall into the below-average to average skill set it’s not much to look at when previewing a standard collegiate team. To give viewers a better representation of how they stack up on the collegiate level what I’ve done the past few years is grade each player based on their current tools as they compare to other players at the collegiate level. What this does is expand the bell curve a bit and give a better representation of their respective strengths and weaknesses now rather than a projection for a MLB position.
-At the end of each position is a final overall grade based on the entire unit as a whole. It's essentially a combination of the talent/depth/intangibles etc...compared to other similar collegiate baseball positions.
Feb 1 - C - Brady Neal So.
Feb 2 - 1B - Jared Jones So.
Feb 3 - 2B - Josh Pearson Jr.
Feb 4 - SS - Michael Braswell Jr.
Feb 5 - 3B - Tommy White Jr.
Feb 6 - OF - Mac Bingham Jr., Paxton Kling So., Jake Brown Fr.
Feb 7 - DH - Hayden Travinski Gr-Sr.
Feb 8 - SP - Thatcher Hurd Jr., Gage Jump Rd-So., Luke Holman Jr.
Feb 9 - RP
Feb 10 - Pro Prospects and Projected SEC standings
Grade Breakdown for Starter
80 Top of the Scale (Think Kris Bryant, USD – 2013 “power”)
70 Well Above Average
60 Above Average
50 Average
40 Below Average
30 Well Below Average
20 Bottom of the Scale (Think Matt Gaudet, LSU - 2010 “speed”)
Grade Breakdown for Overall Position Group
80 Top of the Scale (Think Rice Starting Pitching - 2003)
70 Well Above Average
60 Above Average
50 Average
40 Below Average
30 Well Below Average
20 Bottom of the Scale
-As always everything in this preview is "my" opinion and analysis, I want to welcome everyone’s opinions, thoughts, and criticism, as this is a message board and it's what makes this place great...but please keep it baseball related. In year 17 now this preview is for those friends, family, and alumni who follow the sport however may not be able to see the team early in spring and want to get a better feel for who’s – who.
-The lineup I predict is not only based on what I have seen thus far but how I see the respective positions shaping up throughout the entire regular season.
-The MLB uses a 20-80 grading scale to evaluate each draft eligible player based on their skillset of 1) Power 2) Hitting 3) Speed 4) Fielding 5) Arm. Now because 60-70% of all MLB draft eligible prospects fall into the below-average to average skill set it’s not much to look at when previewing a standard collegiate team. To give viewers a better representation of how they stack up on the collegiate level what I’ve done the past few years is grade each player based on their current tools as they compare to other players at the collegiate level. What this does is expand the bell curve a bit and give a better representation of their respective strengths and weaknesses now rather than a projection for a MLB position.
-At the end of each position is a final overall grade based on the entire unit as a whole. It's essentially a combination of the talent/depth/intangibles etc...compared to other similar collegiate baseball positions.
Feb 1 - C - Brady Neal So.
Feb 2 - 1B - Jared Jones So.
Feb 3 - 2B - Josh Pearson Jr.
Feb 4 - SS - Michael Braswell Jr.
Feb 5 - 3B - Tommy White Jr.
Feb 6 - OF - Mac Bingham Jr., Paxton Kling So., Jake Brown Fr.
Feb 7 - DH - Hayden Travinski Gr-Sr.
Feb 8 - SP - Thatcher Hurd Jr., Gage Jump Rd-So., Luke Holman Jr.
Feb 9 - RP
Feb 10 - Pro Prospects and Projected SEC standings
Grade Breakdown for Starter
80 Top of the Scale (Think Kris Bryant, USD – 2013 “power”)
70 Well Above Average
60 Above Average
50 Average
40 Below Average
30 Well Below Average
20 Bottom of the Scale (Think Matt Gaudet, LSU - 2010 “speed”)
Grade Breakdown for Overall Position Group
80 Top of the Scale (Think Rice Starting Pitching - 2003)
70 Well Above Average
60 Above Average
50 Average
40 Below Average
30 Well Below Average
20 Bottom of the Scale
This post was edited on 2/10/24 at 7:18 am
19
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:01 am to Adam4848
CATCHER
Brady Neal So. 5’10 185lbs (16) Bats-L Throws-R
Alex Milazzo Rd-Sr. 5’11 185lbs (7) Bats-R Throws-R
Hayden Travinksi Gr-Sr. 6’3 235lbs (8) Bats-R Throws-R
Ethan Frey So. 6’5 229lbs (33) Bats-R Throws-R
A year ago we entered the season with the understanding there was great depth but no real front runners. Brady Neal started 26 games, Alex Milazzo started 25 games, and Hayden Travinksi started 20 games. LSU returns every inning at catcher from their national championship team and yes there are still questions as to what will the rotation be. Outside of starting pitching this is the strongest position by far. Although there’s going to be no “true” starter the entire year Brady Neal is who I’m going to spotlight as the starter for position purposes.
Brady Neal was THE surprise opening day starter as a true freshman, someone having just turned 18 years old and catching the top draft pick in 34 degree weather. Injury aside LSU has the luxury of taking things slow if you will this season so on paper everyone gets reps and it keeps everyone fresh. Neal is very advanced left handed bat that this coaching staff must find a way to get in games not only when he’s catching but DHing. One stat Jay continues to bring up time and time again…Neal was the only hitter in college baseball to hit a homerun off of both Hagen Smith and Chase Burns (both will be top 15 picks) who only gave up 17 HR’s combined between the two in 2023. Brady uses his hands so well that he’s able to keep his bat inside and pull from his smaller frame. If Brady was 2-3” taller I sincerely doubt he ever steps foot on campus a year ago. The power numbers are going to jump with a full season and has power to play both gaps, he had a number of balls off the wall or ones that were hit directly into driven wind…I think he’s a 12-14 HR guy with 200 at bats. Speed is about average to slightly above average, he moves really well for this position. The glove from fall ball a year ago to what it is today has been the biggest improvement, he didn’t make an error a season ago in his limited times with plenty of chances. The awareness and arm for the position is a plus plus tool, he is going to constantly be throwing behind runners. All in all there's no telling if he will lead LSU in starts but he's the best option here.
Alex Milazzo is the best defensive catcher on LSU’s roster and as a senior has earned the opportunity to start opening night if in fact they do go that route. Milazzo is going to give you a veteran presence behind the plate at such an important position for a talented but new pitching staff who will rely on his blocking ability with these new arm angles from the left side. Statically speaking Alex’s caught stealing percentages dropped off however we need to remember he was inserted during the late portion of the season where LSU was playing the best competition every game on its way to Omaha. Glove is still a plus plus tool at the collegiate level and he’s has the arm strength to make any throw in the infield. Alex is what he’s always been, a singles hitter, low slugging percentage, will take pitches. Speed is below average for the position and will never be a threat to steal when on the bases.
Hayden Travinski is also a senior who would not surprise me if he starts opening night at catcher, right now he has the benefit to slide between here and DH any time needed. Hayden stepped in during the middle of last season after Neal when down with a back injury and not only held his own defensively but became one of the streakiest hitters in the nation for about 6 weeks. I will say that Hayden’s defense early on in his career could be characterized as sloppy but he’s really put in the work defensively that if does become an everyday guy it shouldn’t be any cause for concern. I’ll highlight Hayden at another position although in my conclusion he may see more time catching for other reasons.
Ethan Frey has been getting steady work at catcher with the 2’s and is another guy in this sophomore class you can tell Jay is doing anything he can to get at bats. Frey’s got an incredibly rare frame where’s he going to continue to get stronger and not show it with lack of mobility. Power tool is pretty incredible to no surprise. I think he has a chance to see mop of duty catching but will also get his chance at 1B if some of those candidates don’t work out. He’s going to be fresh to fill in here and that’s good to have if all three of the players in front do end up as everyday guys.
My take: LSU has the depth here to go any direction they’d like within reason. Right now Neal/Milazzo/Travinski are penciled in at two positions. With how this staff is working back Neal slowly a side of me thinks just maybe they aren’t planning to have these three guys in the everyday lineup at all times. Scenario 1) is Neal catching and Travinski DHing with Milazzo ready to become a defensive replacement as needed. Scenario 2) is flipped with Travinski catching and Neal DHing and Milazzo ready to become a defensive replacement. Right now I’d argue you need to get your best bats in this lineup anyway you can do it and both Travinski and Neal need to be hitting everyday. With this scenario you also save your best defensive catcher ready at any time for late game situations. There’s no real weakness here as a group, I’d feel better knowing that Neal was a full go to catch every game but I’m confident the coaching staff will give him days off or let him DH as needed. Jay doesn’t see that as a problem and neither should we.
Brady Neal
Power------60
Hitting------55
Speed------50
Fielding----65
Arm---------70
POSITION ADDITIONS:
NONE
POSITION LOSSES:
NONE
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 75
Brady Neal So. 5’10 185lbs (16) Bats-L Throws-R
Alex Milazzo Rd-Sr. 5’11 185lbs (7) Bats-R Throws-R
Hayden Travinksi Gr-Sr. 6’3 235lbs (8) Bats-R Throws-R
Ethan Frey So. 6’5 229lbs (33) Bats-R Throws-R
A year ago we entered the season with the understanding there was great depth but no real front runners. Brady Neal started 26 games, Alex Milazzo started 25 games, and Hayden Travinksi started 20 games. LSU returns every inning at catcher from their national championship team and yes there are still questions as to what will the rotation be. Outside of starting pitching this is the strongest position by far. Although there’s going to be no “true” starter the entire year Brady Neal is who I’m going to spotlight as the starter for position purposes.
Brady Neal was THE surprise opening day starter as a true freshman, someone having just turned 18 years old and catching the top draft pick in 34 degree weather. Injury aside LSU has the luxury of taking things slow if you will this season so on paper everyone gets reps and it keeps everyone fresh. Neal is very advanced left handed bat that this coaching staff must find a way to get in games not only when he’s catching but DHing. One stat Jay continues to bring up time and time again…Neal was the only hitter in college baseball to hit a homerun off of both Hagen Smith and Chase Burns (both will be top 15 picks) who only gave up 17 HR’s combined between the two in 2023. Brady uses his hands so well that he’s able to keep his bat inside and pull from his smaller frame. If Brady was 2-3” taller I sincerely doubt he ever steps foot on campus a year ago. The power numbers are going to jump with a full season and has power to play both gaps, he had a number of balls off the wall or ones that were hit directly into driven wind…I think he’s a 12-14 HR guy with 200 at bats. Speed is about average to slightly above average, he moves really well for this position. The glove from fall ball a year ago to what it is today has been the biggest improvement, he didn’t make an error a season ago in his limited times with plenty of chances. The awareness and arm for the position is a plus plus tool, he is going to constantly be throwing behind runners. All in all there's no telling if he will lead LSU in starts but he's the best option here.
Alex Milazzo is the best defensive catcher on LSU’s roster and as a senior has earned the opportunity to start opening night if in fact they do go that route. Milazzo is going to give you a veteran presence behind the plate at such an important position for a talented but new pitching staff who will rely on his blocking ability with these new arm angles from the left side. Statically speaking Alex’s caught stealing percentages dropped off however we need to remember he was inserted during the late portion of the season where LSU was playing the best competition every game on its way to Omaha. Glove is still a plus plus tool at the collegiate level and he’s has the arm strength to make any throw in the infield. Alex is what he’s always been, a singles hitter, low slugging percentage, will take pitches. Speed is below average for the position and will never be a threat to steal when on the bases.
Hayden Travinski is also a senior who would not surprise me if he starts opening night at catcher, right now he has the benefit to slide between here and DH any time needed. Hayden stepped in during the middle of last season after Neal when down with a back injury and not only held his own defensively but became one of the streakiest hitters in the nation for about 6 weeks. I will say that Hayden’s defense early on in his career could be characterized as sloppy but he’s really put in the work defensively that if does become an everyday guy it shouldn’t be any cause for concern. I’ll highlight Hayden at another position although in my conclusion he may see more time catching for other reasons.
Ethan Frey has been getting steady work at catcher with the 2’s and is another guy in this sophomore class you can tell Jay is doing anything he can to get at bats. Frey’s got an incredibly rare frame where’s he going to continue to get stronger and not show it with lack of mobility. Power tool is pretty incredible to no surprise. I think he has a chance to see mop of duty catching but will also get his chance at 1B if some of those candidates don’t work out. He’s going to be fresh to fill in here and that’s good to have if all three of the players in front do end up as everyday guys.
My take: LSU has the depth here to go any direction they’d like within reason. Right now Neal/Milazzo/Travinski are penciled in at two positions. With how this staff is working back Neal slowly a side of me thinks just maybe they aren’t planning to have these three guys in the everyday lineup at all times. Scenario 1) is Neal catching and Travinski DHing with Milazzo ready to become a defensive replacement as needed. Scenario 2) is flipped with Travinski catching and Neal DHing and Milazzo ready to become a defensive replacement. Right now I’d argue you need to get your best bats in this lineup anyway you can do it and both Travinski and Neal need to be hitting everyday. With this scenario you also save your best defensive catcher ready at any time for late game situations. There’s no real weakness here as a group, I’d feel better knowing that Neal was a full go to catch every game but I’m confident the coaching staff will give him days off or let him DH as needed. Jay doesn’t see that as a problem and neither should we.
Brady Neal
Power------60
Hitting------55
Speed------50
Fielding----65
Arm---------70
POSITION ADDITIONS:
NONE
POSITION LOSSES:
NONE
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 75
This post was edited on 2/1/24 at 8:13 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:01 am to Adam4848
FIRST BASE
Jared Jones So. 6’4 253lbs (22) Bats-R Throws-R
Ethan Frey So. 6’5 229lbs (33) Bats-R Throws-R
Jake Brown Fr. 6’2 194lbs (18) Bats-L throws-L
Ashton Larson Fr. 6’2 194lbs (44) Bats-L Throws-L
By every indication this is Jared Jones job to lose and I think everyone would agree he held down the spot well last year along with Tre Morgan. A couple of other candidates who I could see here include Ethan Frey and Ashton Larson whom continue to get reps all over the place thus far during spring practice. If somehow Jake Brown's path to playing time isn’t quicker in the outfield he would jump to potentially Jones backup here. There's still a lot to be worked out so take my order here lightly. Others will continue to get reps here during practice but it’s hard to foresee anyone else sliding here long term unless there are major lineup shuffles.
Jared Jones burst onto the scene as a true freshman earning a starting spot at DH where the coaching staff could do nothing but play him everyday. At one point halfway through SEC play Jones average was hovering around 0.370. with 12 HR’s. His power tool is about as good as it gets at the collegiate level, every time he makes contact it’s generally loud and does a good job creating lift. Hitting tool is slightly above average and while it’s no secret he struggled as a freshmen with off-speed…becoming his entire scouting report for opposing teams he still ended up over 0.300 on the year with a respectable slugging percentage. As he continues to transition into seeing more and more off-speed one of the focal points has been timing…his physical strength will allow him to drive the ball the opposite way…easier said than done. We get to the conversation…how much of a leash does Johnson give Jared here if he comes out the gates and struggles? If he’s striking out anywhere close to a 35-40% clip it becomes a problem, you’re not asking Jones to sit at a 20% clip. Jones is always going to be a boom or bust bat with a high strikeout potential so the question will become can this lineup handle it, because his power will more so a necessity than a luxury as it was in 2023. Speed is below average. You’ve got to love Jones big frame over at first, he looks like a major leaguer right now, and he’s done everything they’ve asked of him. Arm is more than good enough to play the position with his experience as catcher in high school.
Ethan Frey you’d love sliding here if need be because he’s one of the better athletes on this team who has played C, 1B, 3B, OF so range won’t be an issue and he gives you an even better frame. Frey still needs to continue to get at bats and work his way in for this to become a long term solution. If we want to look into the future for LSU’s sake I hope he’s one of those players who sticks around because by his third and fourth year in a college program he’s going to be a real workhorse for whatever roster he’s on.
Jake Brown who I will highlight at another position makes sense here if you’re trying to get his bat in the lineup…another fantastic athlete who can play anywhere you put him.
Ashton Larson out of Kansas comes to LSU as the top high school bat in this class to make it to school and was a real draft threat last spring. Ashton has a smooth left-handed swing where he’s able to generate power from the pull side. The coaching staff has actively been moving him around the outfield and now working at first base in anticipation of potential lineup tinkering if they get to that point. Larson is a very good runner and projects as a corner outfielder or infielder. Right now he's in that group of 12-13 that the coaching staff will give every opportunity to start so he may be one of those darkhorse candidates if you will to at least become a platoon bat from the left side.
My take: If LSU is going is have any chance or repeating this year Jared Jones is one of 3 guys in this lineup for me who will need to be a mainstay in the order. With Jones you have a prototypical 5-6 hole hitter who could very well be a 20 HR type bat if get over 200 at bats, there’s so much untapped potential here. After Jones there’s not much experience at the position and it’s a definite concern if he is not able to play everyday unless you start shuffling veterans all over the place. Jones is a draft eligible sophomore who will see major interest from MLB teams with if he's able to string together another productive season in the SEC. With that being said more times than not draft eligible sophomores would need 1-2 round bonus numbers to even think about leaving early and I don’t anticipate that kind of draft interest just to forgo his junior season.
Jared Jones
Power------80
Hitting------55
Speed------40
Fielding----55
Arm---------65
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Ashton Larson
POSITION LOSSES:
Tre Morgan
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 60
Jared Jones So. 6’4 253lbs (22) Bats-R Throws-R
Ethan Frey So. 6’5 229lbs (33) Bats-R Throws-R
Jake Brown Fr. 6’2 194lbs (18) Bats-L throws-L
Ashton Larson Fr. 6’2 194lbs (44) Bats-L Throws-L
By every indication this is Jared Jones job to lose and I think everyone would agree he held down the spot well last year along with Tre Morgan. A couple of other candidates who I could see here include Ethan Frey and Ashton Larson whom continue to get reps all over the place thus far during spring practice. If somehow Jake Brown's path to playing time isn’t quicker in the outfield he would jump to potentially Jones backup here. There's still a lot to be worked out so take my order here lightly. Others will continue to get reps here during practice but it’s hard to foresee anyone else sliding here long term unless there are major lineup shuffles.
Jared Jones burst onto the scene as a true freshman earning a starting spot at DH where the coaching staff could do nothing but play him everyday. At one point halfway through SEC play Jones average was hovering around 0.370. with 12 HR’s. His power tool is about as good as it gets at the collegiate level, every time he makes contact it’s generally loud and does a good job creating lift. Hitting tool is slightly above average and while it’s no secret he struggled as a freshmen with off-speed…becoming his entire scouting report for opposing teams he still ended up over 0.300 on the year with a respectable slugging percentage. As he continues to transition into seeing more and more off-speed one of the focal points has been timing…his physical strength will allow him to drive the ball the opposite way…easier said than done. We get to the conversation…how much of a leash does Johnson give Jared here if he comes out the gates and struggles? If he’s striking out anywhere close to a 35-40% clip it becomes a problem, you’re not asking Jones to sit at a 20% clip. Jones is always going to be a boom or bust bat with a high strikeout potential so the question will become can this lineup handle it, because his power will more so a necessity than a luxury as it was in 2023. Speed is below average. You’ve got to love Jones big frame over at first, he looks like a major leaguer right now, and he’s done everything they’ve asked of him. Arm is more than good enough to play the position with his experience as catcher in high school.
Ethan Frey you’d love sliding here if need be because he’s one of the better athletes on this team who has played C, 1B, 3B, OF so range won’t be an issue and he gives you an even better frame. Frey still needs to continue to get at bats and work his way in for this to become a long term solution. If we want to look into the future for LSU’s sake I hope he’s one of those players who sticks around because by his third and fourth year in a college program he’s going to be a real workhorse for whatever roster he’s on.
Jake Brown who I will highlight at another position makes sense here if you’re trying to get his bat in the lineup…another fantastic athlete who can play anywhere you put him.
Ashton Larson out of Kansas comes to LSU as the top high school bat in this class to make it to school and was a real draft threat last spring. Ashton has a smooth left-handed swing where he’s able to generate power from the pull side. The coaching staff has actively been moving him around the outfield and now working at first base in anticipation of potential lineup tinkering if they get to that point. Larson is a very good runner and projects as a corner outfielder or infielder. Right now he's in that group of 12-13 that the coaching staff will give every opportunity to start so he may be one of those darkhorse candidates if you will to at least become a platoon bat from the left side.
My take: If LSU is going is have any chance or repeating this year Jared Jones is one of 3 guys in this lineup for me who will need to be a mainstay in the order. With Jones you have a prototypical 5-6 hole hitter who could very well be a 20 HR type bat if get over 200 at bats, there’s so much untapped potential here. After Jones there’s not much experience at the position and it’s a definite concern if he is not able to play everyday unless you start shuffling veterans all over the place. Jones is a draft eligible sophomore who will see major interest from MLB teams with if he's able to string together another productive season in the SEC. With that being said more times than not draft eligible sophomores would need 1-2 round bonus numbers to even think about leaving early and I don’t anticipate that kind of draft interest just to forgo his junior season.
Jared Jones
Power------80
Hitting------55
Speed------40
Fielding----55
Arm---------65
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Ashton Larson
POSITION LOSSES:
Tre Morgan
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 60
This post was edited on 2/3/24 at 7:34 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:01 am to Adam4848
SECOND BASE
Josh Pearson Jr. 5’10 190lbs (11) Bats-L Throws-R
Ben Nippolt Sr. 5’11 180lbs (5) Bats-L Throws-R
Steven Milam Fr. 5’8 172lbs (4) Bats-S Throws-R
What happens at second base is going to have a lasting effect on both the infield and outfield rotation. Josh Pearson who has been an on and off starter for two years is shifting over here to open up an outfield spot and keep his bat in the lineup. After Josh you have Ben Nippolt a veteran who would become a slight upgrade defensively but lacks everyday hitting to pencil him as a starter now. Steven Milam a toolsy freshman has wowed spectators with both his glove and arm but must get adjusted to SEC pitching before anyone can count on him becoming and everyday player.
Josh Pearson shows up in the big moments, you count on him in clutch situations, but then you go down the overall stat sheet and nothing really pops out. After a very impressive freshman season where his slugging percentage was in the .500’s he struggled during fall practice which continued into the 2023 season where he could not string together quality at bats and eventually getting passed up by LSU’s great depth. With that being said there’s something about Josh in May/June. 45% of his hits were during an 18 game stretch to end the season, against the best competition in baseball. Pearson does a good attacking pitchers, he’ll hunt early counts at times and with his quick bat speed has the ability to spray the ball all over the yard even when not squaring something up. I was a little too bullish on his power numbers going into last season but with at least 200 at bats I see no reason why he won’t put up double digit HR’s and challenge for the most doubles on this team. He’s still striking out at a high rate but he’s one of those hitters who can work counts so it goes both ways. Speed is slightly above average, maybe a tick higher, one steal attempt in two seasons...and will mostly play station to station. Defensively Pearson was recruited as an infielder/outfielder but I still have concerns with how smooth this transition will go over the course of an entire season. At times he looks stiff receiving the ball and I worry about his lateral range on up the middle. Arm is average, LSU was able to get by with Gavin Dugas here a season ago who was extremely limited for close to half the season so we’ve got the blueprint of what they are expecting. With all this being said Josh’s athleticism is going to help him here and he’s not going to be asked to make throws he can’t from the right side of the infield.
Ben Nippolt can be a serviceable second baseman if LSU ever gets in a tight spot where they need a plug and play guy up the middle. His slash lines are below average of what you would want as an everyday player and so I think he’s going to be best suited as a defensive replacement unless he starts getting on base at a high rate or does something this spring to surprise us. I think we’ll see a bunch of games where he’s inserted into the middle infield while holding a lead.
Steven Milam is an interesting prospect here. Switch hitting, quick feet, good instincts on the base paths, with a great arm. Much like 7-8 freshman and sophomores fighting for at bats he needs to show he can hit with more consistency, because he's no good hitting 0.200 at the bottom of the order. Defensively I think he could play either 2B or SS right now, his range is limited by his shear size but I’ve seen him make every pickup and throw with minimal effort and that will only continue to improve. Milam is a 3-4 year guy who if he's able to add 10-15lbs at his frame and not lose a step or two will be a real factor in the future.
My take: I love how this coaching staff was proactive to position Josh Pearson to second base during the fall. You ask me where he’s going to play at the next level and I’m going to tell you every time corner outfield but in college baseball every single season coaches are forced to put their best hitters in positions they can live with and that’s what’s going on here. Do expect there to be growing pains early on defensively with Pearson getting his first college reps here as well as playing with a new infielder, if this is the long term plan then they’ll need to stick with him during the good and bad so he's comfortable for the first week of SEC play. Personally I think Pearson is a perfect 2 hole hitter where he can break up some of the right handed bats at the top and you have pop here. The position as a whole is fine right now but if you take Pearson out of the equation there's no real plug and play guy right now unless you make major lineup changes.
Josh Pearson
Power------65
Hitting------60
Speed------55
Fielding----50
Arm---------50
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Steven Milam
POSITION LOSSES:
Gavin Dugas
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 55
Josh Pearson Jr. 5’10 190lbs (11) Bats-L Throws-R
Ben Nippolt Sr. 5’11 180lbs (5) Bats-L Throws-R
Steven Milam Fr. 5’8 172lbs (4) Bats-S Throws-R
What happens at second base is going to have a lasting effect on both the infield and outfield rotation. Josh Pearson who has been an on and off starter for two years is shifting over here to open up an outfield spot and keep his bat in the lineup. After Josh you have Ben Nippolt a veteran who would become a slight upgrade defensively but lacks everyday hitting to pencil him as a starter now. Steven Milam a toolsy freshman has wowed spectators with both his glove and arm but must get adjusted to SEC pitching before anyone can count on him becoming and everyday player.
Josh Pearson shows up in the big moments, you count on him in clutch situations, but then you go down the overall stat sheet and nothing really pops out. After a very impressive freshman season where his slugging percentage was in the .500’s he struggled during fall practice which continued into the 2023 season where he could not string together quality at bats and eventually getting passed up by LSU’s great depth. With that being said there’s something about Josh in May/June. 45% of his hits were during an 18 game stretch to end the season, against the best competition in baseball. Pearson does a good attacking pitchers, he’ll hunt early counts at times and with his quick bat speed has the ability to spray the ball all over the yard even when not squaring something up. I was a little too bullish on his power numbers going into last season but with at least 200 at bats I see no reason why he won’t put up double digit HR’s and challenge for the most doubles on this team. He’s still striking out at a high rate but he’s one of those hitters who can work counts so it goes both ways. Speed is slightly above average, maybe a tick higher, one steal attempt in two seasons...and will mostly play station to station. Defensively Pearson was recruited as an infielder/outfielder but I still have concerns with how smooth this transition will go over the course of an entire season. At times he looks stiff receiving the ball and I worry about his lateral range on up the middle. Arm is average, LSU was able to get by with Gavin Dugas here a season ago who was extremely limited for close to half the season so we’ve got the blueprint of what they are expecting. With all this being said Josh’s athleticism is going to help him here and he’s not going to be asked to make throws he can’t from the right side of the infield.
Ben Nippolt can be a serviceable second baseman if LSU ever gets in a tight spot where they need a plug and play guy up the middle. His slash lines are below average of what you would want as an everyday player and so I think he’s going to be best suited as a defensive replacement unless he starts getting on base at a high rate or does something this spring to surprise us. I think we’ll see a bunch of games where he’s inserted into the middle infield while holding a lead.
Steven Milam is an interesting prospect here. Switch hitting, quick feet, good instincts on the base paths, with a great arm. Much like 7-8 freshman and sophomores fighting for at bats he needs to show he can hit with more consistency, because he's no good hitting 0.200 at the bottom of the order. Defensively I think he could play either 2B or SS right now, his range is limited by his shear size but I’ve seen him make every pickup and throw with minimal effort and that will only continue to improve. Milam is a 3-4 year guy who if he's able to add 10-15lbs at his frame and not lose a step or two will be a real factor in the future.
My take: I love how this coaching staff was proactive to position Josh Pearson to second base during the fall. You ask me where he’s going to play at the next level and I’m going to tell you every time corner outfield but in college baseball every single season coaches are forced to put their best hitters in positions they can live with and that’s what’s going on here. Do expect there to be growing pains early on defensively with Pearson getting his first college reps here as well as playing with a new infielder, if this is the long term plan then they’ll need to stick with him during the good and bad so he's comfortable for the first week of SEC play. Personally I think Pearson is a perfect 2 hole hitter where he can break up some of the right handed bats at the top and you have pop here. The position as a whole is fine right now but if you take Pearson out of the equation there's no real plug and play guy right now unless you make major lineup changes.
Josh Pearson
Power------65
Hitting------60
Speed------55
Fielding----50
Arm---------50
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Steven Milam
POSITION LOSSES:
Gavin Dugas
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 55
This post was edited on 2/4/24 at 8:54 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:01 am to Adam4848
SHORTSTOP
Michael Braswell Jr. 6’2 204lbs (10) Bats-R Throws-R
Ben Nippolt Sr. 5’11 180lbs (5) Bats-L Throws-R
Steven Milam Fr. 5’8 172lbs (4) Bats-S Throws-R
Ryan Kucherak Fr. 6’1 186lbs (20) Bats-R Throws-R
The addition of Michael Braswell last June was arguably the biggest offseason transfer addition for a team replacing both middle infielders. If he's not on this roster right now and you weren't able to count on Guidry playing here as we may of thought two years ago you're in trouble. Braswell has all but locked up shortstop with the rest of the pack behind him fighting for at bats and backup rolls. Ben Nippolt and Steven Milam will work in here just as they are at second base. Ryan Kucherak has been getting reps both here and at third base.
A brief summary on Michael Braswell…was a top 100 high school prospect in the 2021 class where he excelled both on the mound and as a shortstop. Once arriving to South Carolina Michael found his way into the starting lineup at shortstop on opening day becoming one of their top freshmen in 2022, he made a couple of appearances on the mound in 2022 but that was a short lived experiment. After a very promising freshmen year Braswell struggled at the plate during long stretches of 2023. Braswell bet on himself so to speak by transferring to LSU and is looking to make a significant jump at the plate under Jay Johnson where he could receive some draft interest with a little more pop. Braswells lack of power (2 HR in 2022 & 1 HR in 2023) may have more to do with how his previous coaches were handling him…rumors are he needed a change of scenery. Koki Riley with the advocate wrote a great article a week ago highlighting the skewed ground outs vs flyouts a year ago which is something they started working on first thing during the summer. Michael is a matured SEC body who with the proper mechanics will see both his HR & slugging percentage numbers uptick and get back to what draft boards had him coming out of high school. I think he could be a 6 to 7 HR guy when it's all said and done, the 2B's will assuredly make an uptick. Braswell is another tweener speed guy, runs the bases very well but has not shown in two years at the collegiate level that he’s ever going to be a threat to steal. I love his instincts defensively and his receiving has been outstanding since arriving at LSU, his leadership will be key to maintaining any kind of stability here after Thompson's departure. Arm has been very impressive and is almost a plus plus tool which should be no surprise as a former pitcher.
Ben Nippolt much of the same appears to be the guy they are comfortable serving as the main backup here. He's played 2B, SS, and 3B so it's nice to have that type of veteran defensive replacement here as needed.
Steven Milam who was previewed at 2B has also gotten work here although I feel he's better suited on the right side of the infield in the long run.
Ryan Kucherak who I will highlight more at third base due to potential playing time would be fourth on the depth chart if we ever need to get to that level.
My take: There’s not one tool Braswell wows you but he does everything repeatable over and over and right now you're able to plug and play a two year starter in the SEC who's been steady defensively and you can lean on for veteran leadership. What Michael does with the bat is going to take him from being a pretty good shortstop to a potential ALL-SEC type of player. Look for him to hit around the 7 or 8 hole in the order, if he can get 0.300 to 0.310 hitter this season, improve his on base percentage, with some added pop you take it. The position may work itself to grade better than I am rating it as a whole right now.
Michael Braswell
Power------50
Hitting------55
Speed------55
Fielding----60
Arm---------65
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Michael Braswell
Steven Milam
Ryan Kucherak
POSITION LOSSES:
Jordan Thompson
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 55
Michael Braswell Jr. 6’2 204lbs (10) Bats-R Throws-R
Ben Nippolt Sr. 5’11 180lbs (5) Bats-L Throws-R
Steven Milam Fr. 5’8 172lbs (4) Bats-S Throws-R
Ryan Kucherak Fr. 6’1 186lbs (20) Bats-R Throws-R
The addition of Michael Braswell last June was arguably the biggest offseason transfer addition for a team replacing both middle infielders. If he's not on this roster right now and you weren't able to count on Guidry playing here as we may of thought two years ago you're in trouble. Braswell has all but locked up shortstop with the rest of the pack behind him fighting for at bats and backup rolls. Ben Nippolt and Steven Milam will work in here just as they are at second base. Ryan Kucherak has been getting reps both here and at third base.
A brief summary on Michael Braswell…was a top 100 high school prospect in the 2021 class where he excelled both on the mound and as a shortstop. Once arriving to South Carolina Michael found his way into the starting lineup at shortstop on opening day becoming one of their top freshmen in 2022, he made a couple of appearances on the mound in 2022 but that was a short lived experiment. After a very promising freshmen year Braswell struggled at the plate during long stretches of 2023. Braswell bet on himself so to speak by transferring to LSU and is looking to make a significant jump at the plate under Jay Johnson where he could receive some draft interest with a little more pop. Braswells lack of power (2 HR in 2022 & 1 HR in 2023) may have more to do with how his previous coaches were handling him…rumors are he needed a change of scenery. Koki Riley with the advocate wrote a great article a week ago highlighting the skewed ground outs vs flyouts a year ago which is something they started working on first thing during the summer. Michael is a matured SEC body who with the proper mechanics will see both his HR & slugging percentage numbers uptick and get back to what draft boards had him coming out of high school. I think he could be a 6 to 7 HR guy when it's all said and done, the 2B's will assuredly make an uptick. Braswell is another tweener speed guy, runs the bases very well but has not shown in two years at the collegiate level that he’s ever going to be a threat to steal. I love his instincts defensively and his receiving has been outstanding since arriving at LSU, his leadership will be key to maintaining any kind of stability here after Thompson's departure. Arm has been very impressive and is almost a plus plus tool which should be no surprise as a former pitcher.
Ben Nippolt much of the same appears to be the guy they are comfortable serving as the main backup here. He's played 2B, SS, and 3B so it's nice to have that type of veteran defensive replacement here as needed.
Steven Milam who was previewed at 2B has also gotten work here although I feel he's better suited on the right side of the infield in the long run.
Ryan Kucherak who I will highlight more at third base due to potential playing time would be fourth on the depth chart if we ever need to get to that level.
My take: There’s not one tool Braswell wows you but he does everything repeatable over and over and right now you're able to plug and play a two year starter in the SEC who's been steady defensively and you can lean on for veteran leadership. What Michael does with the bat is going to take him from being a pretty good shortstop to a potential ALL-SEC type of player. Look for him to hit around the 7 or 8 hole in the order, if he can get 0.300 to 0.310 hitter this season, improve his on base percentage, with some added pop you take it. The position may work itself to grade better than I am rating it as a whole right now.
Michael Braswell
Power------50
Hitting------55
Speed------55
Fielding----60
Arm---------65
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Michael Braswell
Steven Milam
Ryan Kucherak
POSITION LOSSES:
Jordan Thompson
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 55
This post was edited on 2/4/24 at 8:55 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:01 am to Adam4848
THIRD BASE
Tommy White Jr. 6’0 236lbs (47) Bats-R Throws-R
Ben Nippolt Sr. 5’11 180lbs (5) Bats-L Throws-R
Ryan Kucherak Fr. 6’1 186lbs (20) Bats-R Throws-R
Austen Roellig Fr. 5’11 185 (24) Bats-R Throws-R
By all accounts Tommy is fully healthy and ramping without any setbacks this spring. As long as Tommy White stays healthy this position is pretty much set and he'll be the starter. Behind White Ben Nippolt makes sense here I could even see them needing to slide Steven Milam if need be. Ryan Kucherak and Austen Roellig two true freshmen have been getting work here in practice but I don't see a way they see any meaningful playing time this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if by some chance Ethan Frey got some work here to get him at bats.
Tommy White’s impact in the college through two seasons has been nothing short of amazing. 27 HR’s as a freshman at NC State followed up by 25 HR’s as a sophomore at LSU. He’s creating some pretty extreme exit velocities on everything he's making contact with. If Tommy White is the first collegiate bat taken in the MLB draft this summer then LSU will become the only college team ever to have three position players taken first in back to back to back seasons from the same school, this is a very outside chance but something to watch. In terms of power, White is still hitting HR's to CF and RF at a higher rate than LF. He’s got such a strong lower half, creates torque, lets the ball travel in the zone more and uses his hands with exceptional bat speed to extend and drive pitches to the opposite field. White’s hitting grade does not drop off, his contact rate of in the zone pitches is in the upper 80%’s and by all accounts he’ll probably lead LSU in 2B’s again. Maybe you could find fault that he's too aggressive at times but that's nitpicking. He’s an advanced bat who will find success against lesser pitchers at the college level. Speed is below average and they won’t ask him to steal any bases this season, I’d venture to say they don’t want him diving into any bags this year. It’s really hard for me to grade White here defensively, his fielding % was 0.859 but he’s very quick twitch for his body, he made some exceptional plays down the stretch in the world series. You know he won’t be able to field every bunt attempt and his range isn’t the greatest but he moves well and makes the routine plays. Arm is slightly above average and plenty strong enough for the position. My guess is that White projects as either a 1B or DH at the next level.
Ben Nippolt is going to get work at every position and played 3B at VCU so that any need for him to come in during late game defensive substitutions makes sense here.
Ryan Kucherak a freshman shortstop out of Arizona right now projects to continue to get work at both SS and 3B. I like Ryan's frame and he's shown a strong arm where I think he'll project at SS. Right now Jay Johnson hasn’t mentioned any plans of redshirting Ryan but I think from a strength and conditioning point of view he’s a year or two away from really having a chance to contribute valuable time.
Austen Roellig a freshman shortstop out of California much of the same has seen reps at SS and 3B during the spring. I'd like to see Austen also needs to develop at bit more at the plate before I can even really start to envision any playing time, he moves really well and I'd be curious if he starts getting work at 2B just to see that option.
My take: With Tommy White whatever defense he gives will more than be compensated through his bat. He's the most advanced bat on the team and don't them hitting him anywhere but the 3 hole in the lineup. The question becomes who do they stack behind him to protect in the order? If they are able to figure that out with any consistency then I don’t anticipate teams starting to completely pitch off of him. If all goes status quo then White will be a top 10-15 pick in the MLB draft in July. The position as a whole…you have the best power bat in the country and a solid defensive backup, after that it'll take shuffling around if you’re looking for experienced depth but I think Johnson and staff will do just fine managing this position.
Tommy White
Power------80
Hitting------75
Speed------40
Fielding----50
Arm---------55
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Ryan Kucherak
Austen Roellig
POSITION LOSSES:
NONE
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 70
Tommy White Jr. 6’0 236lbs (47) Bats-R Throws-R
Ben Nippolt Sr. 5’11 180lbs (5) Bats-L Throws-R
Ryan Kucherak Fr. 6’1 186lbs (20) Bats-R Throws-R
Austen Roellig Fr. 5’11 185 (24) Bats-R Throws-R
By all accounts Tommy is fully healthy and ramping without any setbacks this spring. As long as Tommy White stays healthy this position is pretty much set and he'll be the starter. Behind White Ben Nippolt makes sense here I could even see them needing to slide Steven Milam if need be. Ryan Kucherak and Austen Roellig two true freshmen have been getting work here in practice but I don't see a way they see any meaningful playing time this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if by some chance Ethan Frey got some work here to get him at bats.
Tommy White’s impact in the college through two seasons has been nothing short of amazing. 27 HR’s as a freshman at NC State followed up by 25 HR’s as a sophomore at LSU. He’s creating some pretty extreme exit velocities on everything he's making contact with. If Tommy White is the first collegiate bat taken in the MLB draft this summer then LSU will become the only college team ever to have three position players taken first in back to back to back seasons from the same school, this is a very outside chance but something to watch. In terms of power, White is still hitting HR's to CF and RF at a higher rate than LF. He’s got such a strong lower half, creates torque, lets the ball travel in the zone more and uses his hands with exceptional bat speed to extend and drive pitches to the opposite field. White’s hitting grade does not drop off, his contact rate of in the zone pitches is in the upper 80%’s and by all accounts he’ll probably lead LSU in 2B’s again. Maybe you could find fault that he's too aggressive at times but that's nitpicking. He’s an advanced bat who will find success against lesser pitchers at the college level. Speed is below average and they won’t ask him to steal any bases this season, I’d venture to say they don’t want him diving into any bags this year. It’s really hard for me to grade White here defensively, his fielding % was 0.859 but he’s very quick twitch for his body, he made some exceptional plays down the stretch in the world series. You know he won’t be able to field every bunt attempt and his range isn’t the greatest but he moves well and makes the routine plays. Arm is slightly above average and plenty strong enough for the position. My guess is that White projects as either a 1B or DH at the next level.
Ben Nippolt is going to get work at every position and played 3B at VCU so that any need for him to come in during late game defensive substitutions makes sense here.
Ryan Kucherak a freshman shortstop out of Arizona right now projects to continue to get work at both SS and 3B. I like Ryan's frame and he's shown a strong arm where I think he'll project at SS. Right now Jay Johnson hasn’t mentioned any plans of redshirting Ryan but I think from a strength and conditioning point of view he’s a year or two away from really having a chance to contribute valuable time.
Austen Roellig a freshman shortstop out of California much of the same has seen reps at SS and 3B during the spring. I'd like to see Austen also needs to develop at bit more at the plate before I can even really start to envision any playing time, he moves really well and I'd be curious if he starts getting work at 2B just to see that option.
My take: With Tommy White whatever defense he gives will more than be compensated through his bat. He's the most advanced bat on the team and don't them hitting him anywhere but the 3 hole in the lineup. The question becomes who do they stack behind him to protect in the order? If they are able to figure that out with any consistency then I don’t anticipate teams starting to completely pitch off of him. If all goes status quo then White will be a top 10-15 pick in the MLB draft in July. The position as a whole…you have the best power bat in the country and a solid defensive backup, after that it'll take shuffling around if you’re looking for experienced depth but I think Johnson and staff will do just fine managing this position.
Tommy White
Power------80
Hitting------75
Speed------40
Fielding----50
Arm---------55
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Ryan Kucherak
Austen Roellig
POSITION LOSSES:
NONE
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 70
This post was edited on 2/5/24 at 7:09 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:01 am to Adam4848
OUTFIELD
LEFT FIELD
Mac Bingham Sr. 5’11 182 (9) Bats-R Throws-R
Zeb Ruddell So. 6’1 187lbs (39) Bats-L Throws-L
Griffin Cooley Fr. 6’1 168lbs (52) Bats-L Throws-L
CENTER FIELD
Paxton Kling So. 6’2 203lbs (28) Bats-R Throws-R
Mic Paul So. 5’10 188lbs (13) Bats-L Throws-L
RIGHT FIELD
Jake Brown Fr. 6’2 194lbs (18) Bats-L Throws-L
Ethan Frey So. 6’5 229lbs (33) Bats-R Throws-R
Ashton Larson Fr. 6’2 194lbs (44) Bats-L Throws-L
Derrick Mitchell Fr. 6’3 203lbs (43) Bats-S Throws-R
It’s going to be difficult to replace Dylan Crews there’s no doubt about it. With that being said there are a ton of pieces to work with here that eventually one of these talented guys will hit. Right now it appears they are going with Mac Bingham in left field, Paxton Kling in center field, and Jake Brown in right field. Ethan Frey,Zeb Ruddell, Mic Paul, Ashton Larson, Derek Mitchell, Griffin Cooley (redshirt) will all push for playing time. If Josh Pearson at 2B isn’t working you have to think they’ll plug him into the outfield immediately.
Mac Bingham a fifth-year senior from Arizona was a huge transfer get by Jay because he should be a plug and play guy who should make an immediate impact in this lineup that lost a ton of production. Bingham who mostly has played CF gives you the flexibility to play him anywhere in the outfield. In three full seasons Mac has only hit 17 HR’s however 10 of them were as a junior where he exploded offensively. I don’t see any reason why he can’t at the very least follow it up with another 10-12 HR season. Mac earned his way onto the PAC-12 all conference team in 2023 after a year where he hit 0.360 with 91 hits. He’s got a pretty neutral stance and big leg kick where he’s able to pull pitches and generate more exit velocity. What I do like is he won't be asked to carry this lineup and they can put him anywhere they please given his speed. Mac’s got a good feel defensively and having stayed in CF much of his career the move to LF will be seamless where his arm won’t be a liability. I’m surprised at how little draft interest he received a year ago and he’s a guy LSU should count on for immediate production all over the place.
Zeb Ruddell continues to show flashes in a vacuum from the left side of the plate and show occasional gap to gap pop. Defensively you put him in left field right now and he'll be fine, he's working against so much competition in the outfield that you have to wonder will he ever get enough at bats this spring to actually get in any kind of rhythm?
Griffin Cooley another left handed bat out of Louisiana, has a great frame to build upon with plus speed in the outfield, according to Jay is expected to redshirt.
The coaching staff has done everything they can to set Paxton Kling up for success this year. He’s another player who I have tabbed at needing to do well and play everyday for LSU to have a real chance to get back to the world series. Paxton is another five tool player who was poised to have a chance to stick in the starting lineup a year ago before an injury during the middle of the season derailed that. Kling has a somewhat rare combination of a plus size frame in CF who hasn’t lost that first step in the field or base paths. I think the power tool is somewhere between a plus to a plus plus tool right now and when it finally clicks for him in pitch recognition he’s going to be a super star. He had a high strikeout rate as a freshman chasing too much at times and I think we’ll see both his patience and walks drawn improve where he can help this team on the base paths. Kling has true gap to gap power and once on base has excellent speed where they’ll need him be slightly more aggressive this season. Defensively he looks most comfortable in center and has flashed his arm multiple times in the spring scrimmages. Paxton is a draft eligible sophomore who will garner a ton of interest this spring/summer as a potential top 5 round pick.
I'd put Mic Paul as the main backup in CF right now, he's got an exceptional first step and about as good range in the outfield on this roster. Again the question remains how many how many at bats is he going to potentially get during the non-conference?
Jay Johnson stuck Jake Brown in right field and isn’t shying away from making him the potential starter opening night. I really really liked Brown’s arm from the left side in high school and I’m hoping they don’t completely give up on him as a pitcher before his time is done in college. Brown was the 2023 gatorade player of the year in Louisiana in 2023 and a top 100 high school prospect who received serious draft interest and was a 50/50 to get to LSU. Jake excelled as a two way athlete in high school and his physical tools will allow him to play right now. Brown has an advanced frame for a freshman and he shows occasional pop which given the time can develop into a true plus to plus plus tool in college. He’s had his ups and downs at the plate this spring, still chases a bit too much at times. He moves a lot better on the bases than you’d think for a two way pitcher/outfielder. Glove will improve in time and has a fantastic arm which I’d say is a plus plus already.
Ethan Frey continues to hit with consistency and take good at bats in the preseason upon making moves towards starting spot. Right now Frey is arguably the top hitter not labeled as an opening day starter and so I'd expect him to move into 1B to replace Jones or move into RF to replace Brown if need be. Keep an eye on them shuffling him all over the place.
Ashton Larson who I took a brief dive into at 1B makes sense here if need be however it appears the coaching staff has shifted all of their focus on getting him reps at 1B. He's a corner outfielder so if need be they can move him to LF or RF as needed.
Derrick Mitchell has a very impressive frame with switch hitting ability that may help him jump up the depth chart rather quickly as they give him some at bats in mop up duty early. Mitchell moves very well in the outfield and his has exceptional speed. He's one of those freshman that in 2-3 years could have incredible upside.
My take: Depending on how you look at it you're replacing every outfield spot. This staff did an exceptional job grabbing Bingham who could very well put up 2nd team ALL-SEC type numbers, Paxton Kling was the top bat in the 2022 high school class to show up to a college campus so you're counting on him putting it all together, Jake Brown has been so good at times that the coaching staff ditched him as potential rotational arm so you know they see something in him. There's alot to like here, but at the same time there are question marks. What if it takes Kling a little longer than expected to get in a grove? What if Brown isn't able to find any consistency at the plate? The good news here is Ethan Frey has been so good at times that this will work itself out, the competition here is strong and it'll push the best players everyday. Where these guys will hit in the lineup this year is unclear so I won't even try and guess.
Mac Bingham
Power------60
Hitting------65
Speed------65
Fielding----60
Arm---------55
Paxton Kling
Power------65
Hitting------60
Speed------70
Fielding----60
Arm---------75
Jake Brown
Power------55
Hitting------50
Speed------60
Fielding----50
Arm---------70
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Mac Bingham
Jake Brown
Derek Mitchell
Ashton Larson
Griffen Cooley
POSITION LOSSES:
Dylan Crews
Tre Morgan
Brayden Jobert
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 60
LEFT FIELD
Mac Bingham Sr. 5’11 182 (9) Bats-R Throws-R
Zeb Ruddell So. 6’1 187lbs (39) Bats-L Throws-L
Griffin Cooley Fr. 6’1 168lbs (52) Bats-L Throws-L
CENTER FIELD
Paxton Kling So. 6’2 203lbs (28) Bats-R Throws-R
Mic Paul So. 5’10 188lbs (13) Bats-L Throws-L
RIGHT FIELD
Jake Brown Fr. 6’2 194lbs (18) Bats-L Throws-L
Ethan Frey So. 6’5 229lbs (33) Bats-R Throws-R
Ashton Larson Fr. 6’2 194lbs (44) Bats-L Throws-L
Derrick Mitchell Fr. 6’3 203lbs (43) Bats-S Throws-R
It’s going to be difficult to replace Dylan Crews there’s no doubt about it. With that being said there are a ton of pieces to work with here that eventually one of these talented guys will hit. Right now it appears they are going with Mac Bingham in left field, Paxton Kling in center field, and Jake Brown in right field. Ethan Frey,Zeb Ruddell, Mic Paul, Ashton Larson, Derek Mitchell, Griffin Cooley (redshirt) will all push for playing time. If Josh Pearson at 2B isn’t working you have to think they’ll plug him into the outfield immediately.
Mac Bingham a fifth-year senior from Arizona was a huge transfer get by Jay because he should be a plug and play guy who should make an immediate impact in this lineup that lost a ton of production. Bingham who mostly has played CF gives you the flexibility to play him anywhere in the outfield. In three full seasons Mac has only hit 17 HR’s however 10 of them were as a junior where he exploded offensively. I don’t see any reason why he can’t at the very least follow it up with another 10-12 HR season. Mac earned his way onto the PAC-12 all conference team in 2023 after a year where he hit 0.360 with 91 hits. He’s got a pretty neutral stance and big leg kick where he’s able to pull pitches and generate more exit velocity. What I do like is he won't be asked to carry this lineup and they can put him anywhere they please given his speed. Mac’s got a good feel defensively and having stayed in CF much of his career the move to LF will be seamless where his arm won’t be a liability. I’m surprised at how little draft interest he received a year ago and he’s a guy LSU should count on for immediate production all over the place.
Zeb Ruddell continues to show flashes in a vacuum from the left side of the plate and show occasional gap to gap pop. Defensively you put him in left field right now and he'll be fine, he's working against so much competition in the outfield that you have to wonder will he ever get enough at bats this spring to actually get in any kind of rhythm?
Griffin Cooley another left handed bat out of Louisiana, has a great frame to build upon with plus speed in the outfield, according to Jay is expected to redshirt.
The coaching staff has done everything they can to set Paxton Kling up for success this year. He’s another player who I have tabbed at needing to do well and play everyday for LSU to have a real chance to get back to the world series. Paxton is another five tool player who was poised to have a chance to stick in the starting lineup a year ago before an injury during the middle of the season derailed that. Kling has a somewhat rare combination of a plus size frame in CF who hasn’t lost that first step in the field or base paths. I think the power tool is somewhere between a plus to a plus plus tool right now and when it finally clicks for him in pitch recognition he’s going to be a super star. He had a high strikeout rate as a freshman chasing too much at times and I think we’ll see both his patience and walks drawn improve where he can help this team on the base paths. Kling has true gap to gap power and once on base has excellent speed where they’ll need him be slightly more aggressive this season. Defensively he looks most comfortable in center and has flashed his arm multiple times in the spring scrimmages. Paxton is a draft eligible sophomore who will garner a ton of interest this spring/summer as a potential top 5 round pick.
I'd put Mic Paul as the main backup in CF right now, he's got an exceptional first step and about as good range in the outfield on this roster. Again the question remains how many how many at bats is he going to potentially get during the non-conference?
Jay Johnson stuck Jake Brown in right field and isn’t shying away from making him the potential starter opening night. I really really liked Brown’s arm from the left side in high school and I’m hoping they don’t completely give up on him as a pitcher before his time is done in college. Brown was the 2023 gatorade player of the year in Louisiana in 2023 and a top 100 high school prospect who received serious draft interest and was a 50/50 to get to LSU. Jake excelled as a two way athlete in high school and his physical tools will allow him to play right now. Brown has an advanced frame for a freshman and he shows occasional pop which given the time can develop into a true plus to plus plus tool in college. He’s had his ups and downs at the plate this spring, still chases a bit too much at times. He moves a lot better on the bases than you’d think for a two way pitcher/outfielder. Glove will improve in time and has a fantastic arm which I’d say is a plus plus already.
Ethan Frey continues to hit with consistency and take good at bats in the preseason upon making moves towards starting spot. Right now Frey is arguably the top hitter not labeled as an opening day starter and so I'd expect him to move into 1B to replace Jones or move into RF to replace Brown if need be. Keep an eye on them shuffling him all over the place.
Ashton Larson who I took a brief dive into at 1B makes sense here if need be however it appears the coaching staff has shifted all of their focus on getting him reps at 1B. He's a corner outfielder so if need be they can move him to LF or RF as needed.
Derrick Mitchell has a very impressive frame with switch hitting ability that may help him jump up the depth chart rather quickly as they give him some at bats in mop up duty early. Mitchell moves very well in the outfield and his has exceptional speed. He's one of those freshman that in 2-3 years could have incredible upside.
My take: Depending on how you look at it you're replacing every outfield spot. This staff did an exceptional job grabbing Bingham who could very well put up 2nd team ALL-SEC type numbers, Paxton Kling was the top bat in the 2022 high school class to show up to a college campus so you're counting on him putting it all together, Jake Brown has been so good at times that the coaching staff ditched him as potential rotational arm so you know they see something in him. There's alot to like here, but at the same time there are question marks. What if it takes Kling a little longer than expected to get in a grove? What if Brown isn't able to find any consistency at the plate? The good news here is Ethan Frey has been so good at times that this will work itself out, the competition here is strong and it'll push the best players everyday. Where these guys will hit in the lineup this year is unclear so I won't even try and guess.
Mac Bingham
Power------60
Hitting------65
Speed------65
Fielding----60
Arm---------55
Paxton Kling
Power------65
Hitting------60
Speed------70
Fielding----60
Arm---------75
Jake Brown
Power------55
Hitting------50
Speed------60
Fielding----50
Arm---------70
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Mac Bingham
Jake Brown
Derek Mitchell
Ashton Larson
Griffen Cooley
POSITION LOSSES:
Dylan Crews
Tre Morgan
Brayden Jobert
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 60
This post was edited on 2/6/24 at 8:48 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:02 am to Adam4848
DESIGNATED HITTER
Hayden Travinski Gr-Sr. 6’3 235lbs (8) Bats-R Throws-R
Brady Neal So. 5’10 185lbs (16) Bats-L Throws-R
Ethan Frey So. 6’5 229lbs (33) Bats-R Throws-R
Derrick Mitchell Fr. 6’3 203lbs (43) Bats-S Throws-R
Ashton Larson Fr. 6’2 194lbs (44) Bats-L Throws-L
Whoever's not catching between Hayden Travinski and Brady Neal has to become the leader to DH. For purposes of the preview we'll take a look at Travinski. I think Ethan Frey has continued to work his way up every depth charts and I'm putting him third knowing that Neal will get work ahead of him when not catching. I'd like to see Derrick Mitchell and Ashton Larson out of this freshman class get some at bats.
Hayden Travinski returns for his fifth year in college for what we hope will be his first full season. Travinski was a top 50 high school recruit in the 2019 high school class who graded out having some of the best raw power in that draft class. There's no question Hayden's raw power is exceptional but what about his actual numbers? The numbers are so spread out over the course of 4 years they're a bit deceiving. 21 HR's in 231 official at bats or a 11 AB/HR. I took a look at 3 LSU players current/former who were or will be top 10 MLB draft picks. Jacob Berry 32 HR in 455 AB or 14.21 AB/HR, Dylan Crews 58 HR in 753 AB or 12.98 HR/AB, Tommy White 52 HR in 508 AB or 9.76 AB/HR. Take these numbers for what you will because Travinski in four years has about as many at bats as someone would over the course of a full season. However at the same time all of Travinski's 10 HR's in 2023 were during a single 23 game stretch so the question becomes is he streaky or were teams starting to pitch off of him? The contact numbers were up last year and strikeouts were down which was good to see, I think he can settle in as a 0.300-0.320 type hitter over the course of a full season and push White for top slugging percentage. Speed is well below average.
Ethan Frey who has shown up on multiple depth charts makes sense here even if its in spot starts or pinch hitting him in late game situations. With his pop he'll get plenty of opportunities.
Both Derrick Mitchell and Ashton Larson give you the most power from the left side if needed as a platoon option.
My take: Hayden Travinski came back to be a full time starter so he must find a way to stay healthy because when he is he's one of their top 9 bats who has multiple years of SEC experience both catching and DHing. If he can do that you hit him cleanup where he'll protect Tommy White in the order. Travinski's exit velocities continue to be close to tops on the team on a consistent basis. With 230-240 at bats can Hayden put together a 20-25 HR season? That's the question.
Hayden Travinski
Power------80
Hitting------60
Speed------35
Fielding----50
Arm---------65
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Derrick Mitchell
Ashton Larson
POSITION LOSSES:
Cade Beloso
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 65
Hayden Travinski Gr-Sr. 6’3 235lbs (8) Bats-R Throws-R
Brady Neal So. 5’10 185lbs (16) Bats-L Throws-R
Ethan Frey So. 6’5 229lbs (33) Bats-R Throws-R
Derrick Mitchell Fr. 6’3 203lbs (43) Bats-S Throws-R
Ashton Larson Fr. 6’2 194lbs (44) Bats-L Throws-L
Whoever's not catching between Hayden Travinski and Brady Neal has to become the leader to DH. For purposes of the preview we'll take a look at Travinski. I think Ethan Frey has continued to work his way up every depth charts and I'm putting him third knowing that Neal will get work ahead of him when not catching. I'd like to see Derrick Mitchell and Ashton Larson out of this freshman class get some at bats.
Hayden Travinski returns for his fifth year in college for what we hope will be his first full season. Travinski was a top 50 high school recruit in the 2019 high school class who graded out having some of the best raw power in that draft class. There's no question Hayden's raw power is exceptional but what about his actual numbers? The numbers are so spread out over the course of 4 years they're a bit deceiving. 21 HR's in 231 official at bats or a 11 AB/HR. I took a look at 3 LSU players current/former who were or will be top 10 MLB draft picks. Jacob Berry 32 HR in 455 AB or 14.21 AB/HR, Dylan Crews 58 HR in 753 AB or 12.98 HR/AB, Tommy White 52 HR in 508 AB or 9.76 AB/HR. Take these numbers for what you will because Travinski in four years has about as many at bats as someone would over the course of a full season. However at the same time all of Travinski's 10 HR's in 2023 were during a single 23 game stretch so the question becomes is he streaky or were teams starting to pitch off of him? The contact numbers were up last year and strikeouts were down which was good to see, I think he can settle in as a 0.300-0.320 type hitter over the course of a full season and push White for top slugging percentage. Speed is well below average.
Ethan Frey who has shown up on multiple depth charts makes sense here even if its in spot starts or pinch hitting him in late game situations. With his pop he'll get plenty of opportunities.
Both Derrick Mitchell and Ashton Larson give you the most power from the left side if needed as a platoon option.
My take: Hayden Travinski came back to be a full time starter so he must find a way to stay healthy because when he is he's one of their top 9 bats who has multiple years of SEC experience both catching and DHing. If he can do that you hit him cleanup where he'll protect Tommy White in the order. Travinski's exit velocities continue to be close to tops on the team on a consistent basis. With 230-240 at bats can Hayden put together a 20-25 HR season? That's the question.
Hayden Travinski
Power------80
Hitting------60
Speed------35
Fielding----50
Arm---------65
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Derrick Mitchell
Ashton Larson
POSITION LOSSES:
Cade Beloso
POSITION OVERALL GRADE: 65
This post was edited on 2/7/24 at 7:35 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:02 am to Adam4848
STARTING PITCHING
Friday – Thatcher Hurd Jr. 6’4 214lbs (26) Throws-R
Saturday – Gage Jump RS-So. 6’0 197lbs (23) Throws-L
Sunday – Luke Holman Jr. 6’4 201lbs (38) Throws-R
I'd argue this projected starting pitching rotation 1-2-3 on paper has distinct advantages on over every team in the nation minus Wake Forrest, Arkansas, or possibly Florida. All three could end up as top 50-75 overall selections in the MLB draft this summer. It’s well known by now this group is interchangeable to a certain extent so there’s no right or wrong answer here. I’m assuming for now Thatcher Hurd will start Friday’s, Gage Jump will start Saturday’s to sandwich in a lefty, and Luke Holman will start on Sundays.
After a wildly inconsistent start to the 2023 season Thatcher Hurd ended up with quite a number of monumental performances over some pretty significant competition to lead LSU to their seventh title. 5 innings @ Georgia 2 ER, 5-1/3 innings vs South Carolina 3 ER, 5 innings vs Oregon St. 4 ER, 3 innings vs Wake Forrest 1 ER, 3 innings vs Wake Forrest 0 ER, 6 innings vs Florida 2 ER. In the national championship after surrendering 2 runs on a Wyatt Langford 2 run HR Thatcher retired the next 18 of the next 20 hitters giving up 2 walks and 0 hits. As a starter Thatcher maintains a very repeatable delivery that he’ll be able to stretch more as a starter with less effort. Fastball is 94-95mph and I think he'll start running it up 95-97mph once we get later into the year. His best off-speed is still that slider that runs hard and away from righties where he’s shown the ability to at least keep hitters off balance if he doesn’t have the feel for it on a day to day. The curve really came on late in the season and became an out pitch with excellent depth and also allowed him to use his fastball more in two strike counts. It seemed like he got away from using his change up late last year and I'm interested how they try and use that when he's facing lefties. Hurd is a very intelligent and athletic pitcher on the mound who I truly believe with Nate Yeskie and him showing the ability to throw three pitches on a consistent basis will push him to be a first round pick in July.
Gage Jump's projectability in this rotation is what preseason experts are saying takes this rotation from really good to be in the conversation to repeat as national champions. Jump was a teammate of Hurd at UCLA where they briefly played together before needing Tommy John Surgery in the summer of 2022 and sitting out all of 2023. Jump, who was also a top 50 overall high school prospect out of the 2021 class, has only pitched a total of 16-1/3 innings in college thus far. Gage’s delivery from the left side and three quarter arm angle allow him to hide the ball slightly longer. He appears to be at full strength where his fastball is 92-94mph and may play higher later in the year. He does a good job running his fastball all over the plate which truly gives fits to left handed bats and is able to sneak some fastball by righties on the fists. The curve ball has very good vertical break and moves on two planes from his angle. I'd like to see him use his change up more against righties. Jump doesn’t have as big of a frame as Hurd or Holman but he he’s strong for his size and pounds the zone. With Gage's spin rate on his fastball and ability to mix two other pitches he's also going to be able to keep hitters off balance more times than not. One thing to watch for is how long they stretch him early in the year and build up his pitch count.
If Luke Holman is going to be the Sunday starter that's about as good as you can get in college. Holman who was Alabama’s Friday night guy in 2023 does an excellent job mixing and matching pitches and changing eye levels similar to Ty Floyd. Fastball is 91-93mph where he does a good job working the corners. The slider is truly a plus pitch and he shows it at the same angle which creates a ton of swing and misses in the dirt. The curve ball has nice break although he doesn’t seem to use it as much. I have seen Holman pitch backwards more than you typically see and when he does his fastball plays a little quicker. If one of Hurd or Gage is struggling Holman can and will slide up in the rotation as needed.
My take: The starting pitching once again is going to be the backbone of the team and the real strength. Because of LSU’s deep bullpen my hope is these front line starters aren’t taxed too much during the course of the season and don’t fatigue over the 5 month schedule. Question marks for each starter if I had to nitpick…Hurd showing command of at least two pitches during each start where he’s not forced out due to wildness…Gage showing that he can stretch for longer outings having not faced this long of a schedule ever…If I had to pick two to three candidates to push for a starting role in midweek games I don't think you could go wrong any of Kade Anderson, Griffin Herring, Javen Coleman to see how long you can get those lefties to stretch out for postseason. All three of these names will see a lot of innings this spring. This group as a whole depends on how well Jump is able to get acclimated to a full collegiate season.
Thatcher Hurd
Arm Strength---------70
Movement-------------70
Stamina----------------65
Control-----------------55
Gage Jump
Arm Strength---------65
Movement-------------70
Stamina----------------50
Control-----------------55
Luke Holman
Arm Strength---------60
Movement-------------65
Stamina----------------65
Control-----------------60
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Gage Jump
Luke Holman
POSITION LOSSES:
Paul Skenes
Ty Floyd
OVERALL POSITION GRADE: 70
Friday – Thatcher Hurd Jr. 6’4 214lbs (26) Throws-R
Saturday – Gage Jump RS-So. 6’0 197lbs (23) Throws-L
Sunday – Luke Holman Jr. 6’4 201lbs (38) Throws-R
I'd argue this projected starting pitching rotation 1-2-3 on paper has distinct advantages on over every team in the nation minus Wake Forrest, Arkansas, or possibly Florida. All three could end up as top 50-75 overall selections in the MLB draft this summer. It’s well known by now this group is interchangeable to a certain extent so there’s no right or wrong answer here. I’m assuming for now Thatcher Hurd will start Friday’s, Gage Jump will start Saturday’s to sandwich in a lefty, and Luke Holman will start on Sundays.
After a wildly inconsistent start to the 2023 season Thatcher Hurd ended up with quite a number of monumental performances over some pretty significant competition to lead LSU to their seventh title. 5 innings @ Georgia 2 ER, 5-1/3 innings vs South Carolina 3 ER, 5 innings vs Oregon St. 4 ER, 3 innings vs Wake Forrest 1 ER, 3 innings vs Wake Forrest 0 ER, 6 innings vs Florida 2 ER. In the national championship after surrendering 2 runs on a Wyatt Langford 2 run HR Thatcher retired the next 18 of the next 20 hitters giving up 2 walks and 0 hits. As a starter Thatcher maintains a very repeatable delivery that he’ll be able to stretch more as a starter with less effort. Fastball is 94-95mph and I think he'll start running it up 95-97mph once we get later into the year. His best off-speed is still that slider that runs hard and away from righties where he’s shown the ability to at least keep hitters off balance if he doesn’t have the feel for it on a day to day. The curve really came on late in the season and became an out pitch with excellent depth and also allowed him to use his fastball more in two strike counts. It seemed like he got away from using his change up late last year and I'm interested how they try and use that when he's facing lefties. Hurd is a very intelligent and athletic pitcher on the mound who I truly believe with Nate Yeskie and him showing the ability to throw three pitches on a consistent basis will push him to be a first round pick in July.
Gage Jump's projectability in this rotation is what preseason experts are saying takes this rotation from really good to be in the conversation to repeat as national champions. Jump was a teammate of Hurd at UCLA where they briefly played together before needing Tommy John Surgery in the summer of 2022 and sitting out all of 2023. Jump, who was also a top 50 overall high school prospect out of the 2021 class, has only pitched a total of 16-1/3 innings in college thus far. Gage’s delivery from the left side and three quarter arm angle allow him to hide the ball slightly longer. He appears to be at full strength where his fastball is 92-94mph and may play higher later in the year. He does a good job running his fastball all over the plate which truly gives fits to left handed bats and is able to sneak some fastball by righties on the fists. The curve ball has very good vertical break and moves on two planes from his angle. I'd like to see him use his change up more against righties. Jump doesn’t have as big of a frame as Hurd or Holman but he he’s strong for his size and pounds the zone. With Gage's spin rate on his fastball and ability to mix two other pitches he's also going to be able to keep hitters off balance more times than not. One thing to watch for is how long they stretch him early in the year and build up his pitch count.
If Luke Holman is going to be the Sunday starter that's about as good as you can get in college. Holman who was Alabama’s Friday night guy in 2023 does an excellent job mixing and matching pitches and changing eye levels similar to Ty Floyd. Fastball is 91-93mph where he does a good job working the corners. The slider is truly a plus pitch and he shows it at the same angle which creates a ton of swing and misses in the dirt. The curve ball has nice break although he doesn’t seem to use it as much. I have seen Holman pitch backwards more than you typically see and when he does his fastball plays a little quicker. If one of Hurd or Gage is struggling Holman can and will slide up in the rotation as needed.
My take: The starting pitching once again is going to be the backbone of the team and the real strength. Because of LSU’s deep bullpen my hope is these front line starters aren’t taxed too much during the course of the season and don’t fatigue over the 5 month schedule. Question marks for each starter if I had to nitpick…Hurd showing command of at least two pitches during each start where he’s not forced out due to wildness…Gage showing that he can stretch for longer outings having not faced this long of a schedule ever…If I had to pick two to three candidates to push for a starting role in midweek games I don't think you could go wrong any of Kade Anderson, Griffin Herring, Javen Coleman to see how long you can get those lefties to stretch out for postseason. All three of these names will see a lot of innings this spring. This group as a whole depends on how well Jump is able to get acclimated to a full collegiate season.
Thatcher Hurd
Arm Strength---------70
Movement-------------70
Stamina----------------65
Control-----------------55
Gage Jump
Arm Strength---------65
Movement-------------70
Stamina----------------50
Control-----------------55
Luke Holman
Arm Strength---------60
Movement-------------65
Stamina----------------65
Control-----------------60
POSITION ADDITIONS:
Gage Jump
Luke Holman
POSITION LOSSES:
Paul Skenes
Ty Floyd
OVERALL POSITION GRADE: 70
This post was edited on 2/8/24 at 7:55 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:02 am to Adam4848
RELIEF PITCHING
There’s a bunch of depth here, multiple options from the left and right side with different angles. I think for the first time in years LSU will have a number of choices to choose from during close games if they prefer to go matchups over who's the only one rested on a given weekend series. I'm going to do things a bit differently and group the relievers where I think they'll fit in during SEC play. There's something like 12 games in 17 days to start the season so there will be a ton of guys called upon to start games that will eventually find themselves in bullpen roles. I'll rate three potential closers at the end.
Closers
Gavin Guidry So. 6’2 178lbs (1) Throws-R
Justin Loer So. 6’5 214lbs (6) Throws-L
Cameron Johnson Fr. 6'5 251lbs (55) Throws-L
Setup
Nate Ackenhausen Sr. 6'2 256lbs (30) Throws-L
Kade Woods Rd-So. 6'3 217lbs (25) Throws-R
Fidel Ulloa Jr. 6'2 205lbs (40) Throws-R
Situational
DJ Primeaux Rd-Fr. 5'10 195lbs (41) Throws-L
Aiden Moffett So. 6'3 221lbs (0) Throws-R
Sam Dutton Jr. 5'11 200 (17) Throws-R
Micah Bucknam So. 6'2 214lbs (29) Throws-R
Long Relief
Griffin Herring So. 6'2 196lbs (35) Throws-L
Javen Coleman Rd-Jr. 6'2 200lbs (49) Throws-L
Christian Little Sr. 6'4 235lbs (99) Throws-R
Midweek Starter/Mop up Duty
Kade Anderson Fr. 6'2 179lbs (32) Throws-L
Will Hellmers Sr. 6'4 213lbs (48) Throws-R
Nic Bronzini Rd-Fr 6'3 256lbs (14) Throws-L
_________________________________________________
Closers
Gavin Guidry seems to have switched over to pitching on a full time basis now. As a freshman Guidry got away with using almost exclusively his slider with a slightly above average fastball. This spring developing either his curve or changeup is what will separate him from having a good freshman season to becoming a real closer in the SEC. Still with this being said Guidry attacks hitters and seems to play up to his competition, I still like him on the back end of this bullpen.
Justin Loer is an immediate impact transfer out of Xavier who has to figure into either LSU’s main setup or closer role from the left side. Loer was outstanding late in the 2023 season where he was their go to arm making 29 appearances. Justin is a long and lanky lefty who also does a good job hiding the ball from his arm slot. Fastball is mainly 90-92mph and has a excellent feel for his slider and change. Recorded over a strikeout per inning. The slider continues to miss bats against right handed hitters.
Cameron Johnson comes to LSU as the top high school prospect in the 2023 class to attend college. Johnson has about as good of a frame as you can ask from an 18 year old and will continue to get stronger over the next three seasons. LSU has have the luxury of easing his way into the whatever role they come up with. I’ve seen Cam’s fastball anywhere from 93-97mph this spring and it runs up on hitters quickly. The curveball has very very good life which creates swings and misses regularly. Personally, I’d like to see them try some short 1-2 inning spurts where he can show a little more and let that fastball work all over the zone. However if they're more concerned with creating a regular throwing schedule I could also see them working him into long relief spots one a weekend with leads.
Setup
Nate Ackenhausen was one of the quiet lefties who ended up becoming one of LSU's better relief options after the injuries to both Chase Shores and Garrett Edwards. I think right now Nate can give you anywhere from 1-3 innings and is an arm if need be could go twice in a weekend. Fastball normally sits 90-92mph, has a great feel for his change up. He does a fantastic job of nibbling the zones and keeping hitters off balance, also works to contact.
Kade Woods the transfer out of Alabama is going to be a 1 inning spurt type of pitcher in my opinion. Fastball has very good life and runs up on hitters, I'd like to see it get back to that 95-96mph he was sitting at late last year, the slider works on occasion but loses feel for it every now and then. He's going to go as far as his control allows him, has been very wild at times.
Fidel Ulloa the lone JUCO transfer in this class has shown very impressive life on his fastball this spring. He's been pounding the zone with 94-95mph regularly and curve ball is impressed me. Doesn't get the attention as some of the other pieces LSU brought in but may become one of LSU's top right handed arms in setup or situational role.
Situational
DJ Primeaux who redshirted last year has some pretty surprising velocity for his smaller frame. Fast ball is anywhere from 90-93mph and has been has been labeled as one of the up and comers on this pitching staff. Gavin Guidry labeled his slider as the "best on the team". Control can be an issue at times, I'd like to think DJ can at least come in against a pair of lefties and give them a different angle if needed.
Aiden Moffett who came in for a single appearance in 2023 has continued to put on muscle and work his fastball to 98-99mph when he wants to. Aiden is a very interesting piece because he got a ton of work last summer and looked very good at times. He can still be a very good piece to this bullpen even with one pitch, again like most he cannot start letting his walks/strikeouts out pace each other.
Sam Dutton is a face everyone here is familiar with. I think he should see somewhat of a typical role they used him in last season, where he'll come in for a hitter or two. Dutton's fastball has seen a slight uptick this spring and he uses his curveball almost exclusively if need be.
Micah Bucknam saw some time as a freshman primarily in midweeks games. Micah actually has a very polished slider that can miss a ton of bats, fastball is low 90's and is flat which gets him in trouble at times.
Long Relief
Griffin Herring to me is a guy who can give 2 innings or 6 innings and may become one of the more important pieces to this entire bullpen. Fastball can be anywhere 92-94mph that has natural run away from righties. He's shown a very good change up and slider out of the same slot that ends up in the dirt and fools hitters. He was vital to keeping LSU in the game against Wake Forrest putting up a zero spot in 4-2/3 innings while striking out 6. Hot take, if one of LSU's starting pitchers loses their spot I would not hesitate to insert Herring into the starting rotation.
Javen Coleman another veteran lefty who I think was asked to do more than anticipated late last year due to LSU's lack of bullpen depth. Coleman has an excellent fastball mid 90's and curve where if he gets comfortable gets better as the game goes on. I think his numbers were a bit skewed last year from 1-2 really bad outings but is an arm that's well rested and could be a starter on a number of other SEC teams.
Christian Little another projectable frame with all the talent in the world when he's locked in. I think if they back off of trying to force him into a starting role he's a tad looser knowing he only needs to come in for a couple of innings, I don't know exactly where he fits in this bullpen right now.
There’s a bunch of depth here, multiple options from the left and right side with different angles. I think for the first time in years LSU will have a number of choices to choose from during close games if they prefer to go matchups over who's the only one rested on a given weekend series. I'm going to do things a bit differently and group the relievers where I think they'll fit in during SEC play. There's something like 12 games in 17 days to start the season so there will be a ton of guys called upon to start games that will eventually find themselves in bullpen roles. I'll rate three potential closers at the end.
Closers
Gavin Guidry So. 6’2 178lbs (1) Throws-R
Justin Loer So. 6’5 214lbs (6) Throws-L
Cameron Johnson Fr. 6'5 251lbs (55) Throws-L
Setup
Nate Ackenhausen Sr. 6'2 256lbs (30) Throws-L
Kade Woods Rd-So. 6'3 217lbs (25) Throws-R
Fidel Ulloa Jr. 6'2 205lbs (40) Throws-R
Situational
DJ Primeaux Rd-Fr. 5'10 195lbs (41) Throws-L
Aiden Moffett So. 6'3 221lbs (0) Throws-R
Sam Dutton Jr. 5'11 200 (17) Throws-R
Micah Bucknam So. 6'2 214lbs (29) Throws-R
Long Relief
Griffin Herring So. 6'2 196lbs (35) Throws-L
Javen Coleman Rd-Jr. 6'2 200lbs (49) Throws-L
Christian Little Sr. 6'4 235lbs (99) Throws-R
Midweek Starter/Mop up Duty
Kade Anderson Fr. 6'2 179lbs (32) Throws-L
Will Hellmers Sr. 6'4 213lbs (48) Throws-R
Nic Bronzini Rd-Fr 6'3 256lbs (14) Throws-L
_________________________________________________
Closers
Gavin Guidry seems to have switched over to pitching on a full time basis now. As a freshman Guidry got away with using almost exclusively his slider with a slightly above average fastball. This spring developing either his curve or changeup is what will separate him from having a good freshman season to becoming a real closer in the SEC. Still with this being said Guidry attacks hitters and seems to play up to his competition, I still like him on the back end of this bullpen.
Justin Loer is an immediate impact transfer out of Xavier who has to figure into either LSU’s main setup or closer role from the left side. Loer was outstanding late in the 2023 season where he was their go to arm making 29 appearances. Justin is a long and lanky lefty who also does a good job hiding the ball from his arm slot. Fastball is mainly 90-92mph and has a excellent feel for his slider and change. Recorded over a strikeout per inning. The slider continues to miss bats against right handed hitters.
Cameron Johnson comes to LSU as the top high school prospect in the 2023 class to attend college. Johnson has about as good of a frame as you can ask from an 18 year old and will continue to get stronger over the next three seasons. LSU has have the luxury of easing his way into the whatever role they come up with. I’ve seen Cam’s fastball anywhere from 93-97mph this spring and it runs up on hitters quickly. The curveball has very very good life which creates swings and misses regularly. Personally, I’d like to see them try some short 1-2 inning spurts where he can show a little more and let that fastball work all over the zone. However if they're more concerned with creating a regular throwing schedule I could also see them working him into long relief spots one a weekend with leads.
Setup
Nate Ackenhausen was one of the quiet lefties who ended up becoming one of LSU's better relief options after the injuries to both Chase Shores and Garrett Edwards. I think right now Nate can give you anywhere from 1-3 innings and is an arm if need be could go twice in a weekend. Fastball normally sits 90-92mph, has a great feel for his change up. He does a fantastic job of nibbling the zones and keeping hitters off balance, also works to contact.
Kade Woods the transfer out of Alabama is going to be a 1 inning spurt type of pitcher in my opinion. Fastball has very good life and runs up on hitters, I'd like to see it get back to that 95-96mph he was sitting at late last year, the slider works on occasion but loses feel for it every now and then. He's going to go as far as his control allows him, has been very wild at times.
Fidel Ulloa the lone JUCO transfer in this class has shown very impressive life on his fastball this spring. He's been pounding the zone with 94-95mph regularly and curve ball is impressed me. Doesn't get the attention as some of the other pieces LSU brought in but may become one of LSU's top right handed arms in setup or situational role.
Situational
DJ Primeaux who redshirted last year has some pretty surprising velocity for his smaller frame. Fast ball is anywhere from 90-93mph and has been has been labeled as one of the up and comers on this pitching staff. Gavin Guidry labeled his slider as the "best on the team". Control can be an issue at times, I'd like to think DJ can at least come in against a pair of lefties and give them a different angle if needed.
Aiden Moffett who came in for a single appearance in 2023 has continued to put on muscle and work his fastball to 98-99mph when he wants to. Aiden is a very interesting piece because he got a ton of work last summer and looked very good at times. He can still be a very good piece to this bullpen even with one pitch, again like most he cannot start letting his walks/strikeouts out pace each other.
Sam Dutton is a face everyone here is familiar with. I think he should see somewhat of a typical role they used him in last season, where he'll come in for a hitter or two. Dutton's fastball has seen a slight uptick this spring and he uses his curveball almost exclusively if need be.
Micah Bucknam saw some time as a freshman primarily in midweeks games. Micah actually has a very polished slider that can miss a ton of bats, fastball is low 90's and is flat which gets him in trouble at times.
Long Relief
Griffin Herring to me is a guy who can give 2 innings or 6 innings and may become one of the more important pieces to this entire bullpen. Fastball can be anywhere 92-94mph that has natural run away from righties. He's shown a very good change up and slider out of the same slot that ends up in the dirt and fools hitters. He was vital to keeping LSU in the game against Wake Forrest putting up a zero spot in 4-2/3 innings while striking out 6. Hot take, if one of LSU's starting pitchers loses their spot I would not hesitate to insert Herring into the starting rotation.
Javen Coleman another veteran lefty who I think was asked to do more than anticipated late last year due to LSU's lack of bullpen depth. Coleman has an excellent fastball mid 90's and curve where if he gets comfortable gets better as the game goes on. I think his numbers were a bit skewed last year from 1-2 really bad outings but is an arm that's well rested and could be a starter on a number of other SEC teams.
Christian Little another projectable frame with all the talent in the world when he's locked in. I think if they back off of trying to force him into a starting role he's a tad looser knowing he only needs to come in for a couple of innings, I don't know exactly where he fits in this bullpen right now.
This post was edited on 2/9/24 at 8:39 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:02 am to Adam4848
Midweek Starter/Mop up Duty
Kade Anderson would be my top midweek starter right now. He's been super impressive this spring, the fastball has been 92-94mph mostly and he's missing bats, his mechanics are very repeatable. He's one of the better freshmen arms on this team and if they start him now and stretch him will only serve him better in the future for next season or if they get in a spot during the SEC tournament or regional where they need a non bullpen piece to go longer.
Will Hellmers to me would be a good inning eater during midweek, you know what you're getting from Will, the fastball at times plays flat but he pitches to contact.
Nic Bronzini is a big lefty with an fastball at this level who when having feel for his change up to work off of the fastball. Curve ball is still something I haven't seen him be totally comfortable with.
Chase Shores is throwing bullpens with a tentative date to be ready maybe around the SEC tournament.
Jaden Noot is throwing bullpens with a tentative date to be ready around the beginning of April.
MJ Seo the freshman out of Texas will redshirt according to Jay Johnson.
Trenton Lape the freshman out of Louisiana will redshirt according to Jay Johnson.
Dylan Thompson the freshman out of Louisiana will redshirt according to Jay Johnson.
Gavin Guidry
Arm Strength---------55
Movement-------------60
Stamina----------------40
Control-----------------60
Justin Loer
Arm Strength---------65
Movement-------------65
Stamina----------------40
Control-----------------65
Cameron Johnson
Arm Strength---------75
Movement-------------65
Stamina----------------55
Control-----------------55
My take: The bullpen is incredibly deep, there are probably 3-4 guys in this group who would be starters on 75%-85% of teams in the country. If they get back Chase Shores and Jaden Noot later this year which we aren't even counting right now then Yeskie is going to have a number of ways to play SEC series. Adding Shores and Noot alone would be the icing on the cake. You can never have enough pitching and things always happen but the coaching staff has done about as good of a job as you can putting the pieces together to make actual deep runs in post season baseball. I don't see a true weakness in this group right now.
OVERALL POSITION GRADE: 75
Kade Anderson would be my top midweek starter right now. He's been super impressive this spring, the fastball has been 92-94mph mostly and he's missing bats, his mechanics are very repeatable. He's one of the better freshmen arms on this team and if they start him now and stretch him will only serve him better in the future for next season or if they get in a spot during the SEC tournament or regional where they need a non bullpen piece to go longer.
Will Hellmers to me would be a good inning eater during midweek, you know what you're getting from Will, the fastball at times plays flat but he pitches to contact.
Nic Bronzini is a big lefty with an fastball at this level who when having feel for his change up to work off of the fastball. Curve ball is still something I haven't seen him be totally comfortable with.
Chase Shores is throwing bullpens with a tentative date to be ready maybe around the SEC tournament.
Jaden Noot is throwing bullpens with a tentative date to be ready around the beginning of April.
MJ Seo the freshman out of Texas will redshirt according to Jay Johnson.
Trenton Lape the freshman out of Louisiana will redshirt according to Jay Johnson.
Dylan Thompson the freshman out of Louisiana will redshirt according to Jay Johnson.
Gavin Guidry
Arm Strength---------55
Movement-------------60
Stamina----------------40
Control-----------------60
Justin Loer
Arm Strength---------65
Movement-------------65
Stamina----------------40
Control-----------------65
Cameron Johnson
Arm Strength---------75
Movement-------------65
Stamina----------------55
Control-----------------55
My take: The bullpen is incredibly deep, there are probably 3-4 guys in this group who would be starters on 75%-85% of teams in the country. If they get back Chase Shores and Jaden Noot later this year which we aren't even counting right now then Yeskie is going to have a number of ways to play SEC series. Adding Shores and Noot alone would be the icing on the cake. You can never have enough pitching and things always happen but the coaching staff has done about as good of a job as you can putting the pieces together to make actual deep runs in post season baseball. I don't see a true weakness in this group right now.
OVERALL POSITION GRADE: 75
This post was edited on 2/9/24 at 8:38 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:02 am to Adam4848
PRO PROSPECTS
*Draft eligible sophomore
2024 MLB DRAFT PROSPECTS
1. Tommy White 1B/DH
2. Thatcher Hurd RHP
3. Luke Holman RHP
4. Gage Jump LHP
5. Paxton Kling* CF
6. Justin Loer LHP
7. Kade Woods RHP
8. Griffin Herring* LHP
9. Nate Ackenhausen LHP
10. Mac Bingham OF
2025 MLB DRAFT PROSPECTS
1. Chase Shores RHP
2. Paxton Kling CF
3. Brady Neal C
4. Jaden Noot RHP
5. Griffin Herring LHP
2026 MLB DRAFT PROSPECTS
1. Cameron Johnson LHP
2. Jake Brown OF/LHP
3. Ashton Larson OF
4. Kade Anderson LHP
5. Derrick Mitchell OF
*Draft eligible sophomore
2024 MLB DRAFT PROSPECTS
1. Tommy White 1B/DH
2. Thatcher Hurd RHP
3. Luke Holman RHP
4. Gage Jump LHP
5. Paxton Kling* CF
6. Justin Loer LHP
7. Kade Woods RHP
8. Griffin Herring* LHP
9. Nate Ackenhausen LHP
10. Mac Bingham OF
2025 MLB DRAFT PROSPECTS
1. Chase Shores RHP
2. Paxton Kling CF
3. Brady Neal C
4. Jaden Noot RHP
5. Griffin Herring LHP
2026 MLB DRAFT PROSPECTS
1. Cameron Johnson LHP
2. Jake Brown OF/LHP
3. Ashton Larson OF
4. Kade Anderson LHP
5. Derrick Mitchell OF
This post was edited on 2/10/24 at 7:08 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:02 am to Adam4848
PROJECTED SEC STANDINGS
SEC EAST
1. Florida 21-9
2. Vanderbilt 19-11
3. Tennessee 17-13
4. South Carolina 16-14
5. Kentucky 14-16
6. Georgia 12-18
7. Missouri 8-22
SEC WEST
1. Arkansas 19-11
2. LSU 18-12
3. Texas A&M 17-13
4. Auburn 14-16
5. Ole Miss 13-17
6. Alabama 12-18
7. Miss St 10-20
SEC Champion - Florida
SEC Tournament Champion - LSU
SEC EAST
1. Florida 21-9
2. Vanderbilt 19-11
3. Tennessee 17-13
4. South Carolina 16-14
5. Kentucky 14-16
6. Georgia 12-18
7. Missouri 8-22
SEC WEST
1. Arkansas 19-11
2. LSU 18-12
3. Texas A&M 17-13
4. Auburn 14-16
5. Ole Miss 13-17
6. Alabama 12-18
7. Miss St 10-20
SEC Champion - Florida
SEC Tournament Champion - LSU
This post was edited on 2/10/24 at 7:18 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:15 am to Adam4848
Lets geaux!!!
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:15 am to Adam4848
Oh hell yeah
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:19 am to Adam4848
In 
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:21 am to Adam4848
Bye Bye offseason
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:24 am to Adam4848
This post was edited on 2/1/24 at 6:26 am
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:27 am to FAP SAM
Best time of the year
Posted on 2/1/24 at 6:30 am to MrJimBeam
I'm here for it all. Inject it into my veins
This post was edited on 2/1/24 at 6:31 am
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